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Here’s What’s New in iOS 12.1, Available Today

Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 by Gina Adkins

iOS 12.1 Group FaceTime Compatibility: Will Your Device Support It?

The next major iOS update is here. Furthermore, it puts the latest version significantly ahead of last year's iOS 11 which could be found running on just 52% of devices by November 8, 2017, nearly two months after release.

Officially unveiled yesterday, Apple'siOS 12.1 update is rolling out already to compatible iPhone and iPad devices. During a group call, Facetime will automatically detect the active participant and bring them to the forefront. The Memoji allows you to design your own animated emoji, which can also be controlled by your facial expressions thanks to the combination of iPhones' extra sensors and updated software.

iOS 12.1 also brings more than 70 new emoji to the iPhone and iPad, including new characters with red hair, grey hair and curly hair, a new emoji for bald people, more emotive smiley faces and additional emoji representing animals, sports and food.

Apple's October 30th event is expected to see the debut of new iPad Pro and Mac devices, with the long-ignored Mac mini set to get some much-needed love.

Private: All FaceTime conversations, both one-to-one and multi-person, are encrypted end to end so they remain private and viewable only by the participants.

In China, Hong Kong and Macau, the new iPhones have physical slots for a second nano-SIM, but in the rest of the world, it's a virtual eSIM.

Depth control was previously available in iOS 12 on compatible iPhones, but what's new in 12.1 is that the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR can now perform depth adjustments live in the camera's viewfinder before a photo's even been taken.

In a statement, Apple said "advanced depth segmentation" in the device's portrait camera mode will also give users control over the depth of field in real-time preview, in addition to post-capture.